New Era Politics
by Remenants
Summary: It's a new era for the Capital Wasteland...and that means new 'friends' and new threats. Can Elder Sarah Lyons and her Head Paladin John 'The Lone Wanderer' manage in this world where a plasma rifle isn't the only answer? Rated M for language.


Elder Sarah Lyons sat back on her bed and sighed in exhaustion. For once, actually feeling her age. She could deal with fighting through ruins filled with raiders, delving into caves that housed Deathclaws, fighting back a massive Super Mutant...pardon _second generation_ Super Mutant raiding party, or her alone against an entire Enclave battalion; all of those things seemed preferable than the mine field of _politics._

The ambassadors of the New California Republic, Mojave Free Nation, and the Great Khan Empire were chatting pleasantly with each other in the war room. The bug in the room was giving Sara clear conversation on her room's radio, but it was clear that they knew that they were being bugged. That was why they were chatting pleasantly about some celebrity singer.

God that was depressing. The East Coast was still as damaged and fractured as ever, and the West Coast apparently could spend time on celebrity gossip. There was talk of farms, regular electricity, and secure roads. At least they had the purifier and the 'rebuilt' Liberty Prime. That was probably why the NCR, MFN, and GKE were talking to her, if they knew that the robot only could walk and spout pre-war propaganda...no. Don't think about that. The bluff worked.

Also it didn't hurt that it was easy to see that the three nations obviously hated each other with the passion that only allied countries could create. Right now they were each trying to curry favor with Sara, so she would choose one of them over the others.

It was a difficult call though. The Mojave Free Nation had electricity, money and massive amounts of tech, but was very small. The Great Kahn Empire had a highly mobile army, and the most non-irradiated land, which mean lots of food, but they had little industry. The New California Republic had the biggest army, water plants of their own (None of them as effective or producing as high a volume as Project Purity was), and cities...actual cities, but it was pretty obvious that it was reaching the extent of their power.

Sara was rather impressed at how the 'Western Triad' had organized itself really. It was obvious that some very intelligent people had set the current situation up. The NCR provided the army and water, MFN gave electricity, and the GKE provided the food. If two members of the Triad tried to take out the other, then that nation could just destroy their own resource and doom the others to a slow death or at least cripple them so that when they fought each other, both sides would lose. It was a perfect stalemate, which let everyone profit from the peace of an alliance and a long wonderful cold war that no one wanted to heat.

Of course, now they were here, and Sara had something that could upset that very delicate balance. Crap.

It was tempting to just shoot the three of them and be done with it. But if there was one thing she knew it was not to give these people a common enemy. They had the power to carve up the Capital, Point Lookout, the Commonwealth, and any other settlement out here. Hell, odds were good that they were doing exactly that, right now.

They were just so...isolated. Even between the Citadel and Rivet City there was barely any unity, just an alliance of convenience. Metagon, Big Town, Canterbury Commons, honestly the list went on and on of settlements that were little nations unto themselves. Hell, one of them WAS a nation! What was written on some of the ruins here? 'United We Stand.' Huh, well she was learning THAT lesson, fast.

There was however, one bright spot among all of this. The Outcasts were done. The look on Casdin's face, when he heard that the Brotherhood back West was all but destroyed, and the last remnants had been absorbed into the MFN was priceless. And then, there was that particular shade of purple his face turned when the MFN actually contacted that...what did Casdin call the new Head Elder? Oh yes, a 'dyke bitch.'

Sara actually was interested in meeting the Elder of the Western Brotherhood. Anyone who gave Casdin official orders to 'Stop acting like a jackass, and help these people you dumb fuck.' was someone Sara owed a beer.

Also, Elder Santangelo was rather candid on telling Sara not to just jump in with the MFN just because the Brotherhood was based there. She had explained the political situation to her, and well...knowing that her father's actions would be put into the Codex as a act of 'Great Valor' and having her chapter fully reinstated was exceptionally gratifying.

However, every silver lining comes with a cloud. The odds were good that the Outcasts were going to try something. Casdin was beside himself with shock, disbelief, and indignant rage as he stormed out of the Citadel. A good third of the Outcasts had returned to the Citadel, following their new orders, but the rest...

The scariest part was that she wasn't worried about the Outcasts. She was worried _for _the Outcasts. When Casdin had swore at the 'alphabet soup' group (as some of the recruits had taken to calling them) and stormed off, the ambassadors just gave each other calm smiles. They told Sara to 'not worry about it' that they had 'dealt with this before' and 'it wasn't a problem.'

That was worrying.

"You know Lucy Luck's very pretty." The NCR rep said over the radio. "Shame that she has to be in her wheelchair."

"Still has a nice set of legs," The GKE emissary said. "Anyway, she's a singer not a dancer. What's her real name?"

"Sadly, I don't know. You'd have to bribe a Chairman. We're just happy to have her." The MFN ambassador said. "She's a big hit on the radio, and she's happy to be famous enough that people flirt with her, broken legs and all."

"I'm surprised that she's even alive." The GKE rep said. "Aren't the women all brainwashed?"

"Why do you think she got her legs broken?" The MFN's woman said. "Story is they dumped her in the middle of the desert, and she dragged herself to the Mojave."

"A girl with spirit...pity she didn't get found by the Kahns. Well, next time those bastards try to at-"

"Sssh!" The NCR rep snapped. "Operor non for Legio!"

The other two shut up, and the conversation changed to bemoaning the lack of a type of soft drink on the East Coast.

Sara sat up in her bed. What was that? She might not be as skilled in politics as others might be, but she knew something important when she heard it. She jumped to her desk and wrote down, as best she could, whatever it was that NCR ambassador had just said.

Was it a code? No, it didn't sound like a code, and no nation would swap codes willingly with another. Not the least a code all three of them knew. No, that sounded like another language.

If it was another language, then that meant a trip down to the lab and a talk with Scribe Yearling. When she got there, her face broke out in a happy smile as she saw a pleasant surprise.

"John! When did you get back?" She smiled at the Head Paladin who was talking to the scribe Sara was looking for. Then she smacked him on the chest of his power armor. "Why didn't you tell me you were back? Anyway, how are things in the Commonwealth? Stay here Yearling, I need you."

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty." The Head Paladin gave Sara a brief hug and a peck on the cheek. "I just got back. I had to drop off some Institute stuff and then I was going to go straight to you." He sighed. "Sadly, my trip didn't go so well." The famous 'Lone Wanderer' said shrugging. "Dr. Li and the Institute are pretending that the Triad doesn't exist along with the rest of the world, and the rest of the settlements are pretty much like the ones down here, unwilling to deal with us, or anyone else. Their worlds end at their fortifications How have our 'honored guests' been behaving?"

"Well, they said they wanted to see Megaton. They made mention of Moira of all people." Sara said.

John's face took on that look of slight horror and long remembered trauma at the mention of that woman's name. "You're kidding."

"No, apparently copies of a certain book actually made their way over to their side of the world." Sara said grinning.

John shook his head. "Oh God. She's going to want to write a sequel."

"Maybe we can talk her into moving out west, and we'll never see her again." Sara smiled.

"We're trying to AVOID a war with these people, remember dear?" John said smiling. "Alright, enough jokes. How are things with the alphabet soup?"

"Eh, no change. The Bear, Butterfly, and Wolf have been a nest of Yao Guai, Cazador, and Nightstalkers. Also Elder Santangelo wants to interview you so she can put your deeds on the Western Brotherhood's Codex. Anyway, the Alphabets let something slip, something that's got all of them worried. The NCR guy said something weird, so I came to Yearling to see if she knew what it was."

"Alright, so what did they say?" Yearling asked.

"It sounded like...Operator non for leg eee oh." Sara said, reading off what she had written down.

"What?" Both John and Yearling asked.

"I have no idea. Sounded like a code, or a different language." Sara shrugged. "It's definitely about some group that all three of them dislike."

"Hmm...that sounds like Latin. Butchered Latin." Yearling said.

Sara shot the scribe a dirty look.

"What's that?" John asked.

"An old language, a VERY old language." Yearling said.

"Do you know it?" Sara said.

"Heh, it was one of he first books John gave me." Yearling said.

"Destiny." John said. "It's what I do."

"Yeah yeah," Sara said, giving John another whack on the arm. "Be sure to keep that humble streak. Okay, so what does it mean then?"

"Well...Operator...oper...ah! Talking, I think. Non...that's not. Leg ee oh? Legio, Legion?" Yearling nodded. "Yes, I think that's it. Do not talk about the Legion."

The three of them stood there quietly. They didn't understand what that meant...but there was something in the air that meant it had to be something bad.

- **Meanwhile, a day's journey away**. -

Ashur was knocked down to his knees again. Blood dripped out of his mouth, and he was pretty sure that one of his eyes had detached from its retina. He struggled to stand.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" The bastard Ashur was going to kill slowly said.

"Say that...to me...when I...have your throat in my hands!" Ashur grunted out as he rose to his feet.

"Insolence! I'll show you who is you tr-"

"Hold." A voice said. Ashur rose to his feet, as the Devil himself entered his office.

The bastard didn't hit Ashur this time. Ashur turned to grab the bastard's neck, when he saw what the Devil had in his arms...more specifically who.

"Hmm, I must confess that I am impressed, by both your spirit, and your attempt at civilization. It's quite impressive for a dissolute such as yourself." The Devil said as he gently cradled Marie in his arms. He wasn't wearing that dog hood or that black visor anymore. Ashur's one good eye saw that the man's face was scarred. Heavily.

Ashur just spat at the Devil. There was far too much red in it for his liking. The Devil didn't so much as react.

"Your slaves are well trained. Your industry is strong. Your warriors are willing to die for your cause, and you are a man of vision. You only have some minor deficiencies. Common maladies seen in the dissolute, but far less than most, for this competence we will show you some mercy."

"You call this mercy?"

"Yes." The Devil said. "Would you care to see us when we are cruel?"

Ashur just shook his head. "If it means that no more of my people die, then I accept your...mercy."

The Devil nodded. "Excellent. Bring her here."

Two of the red armored bastards dragged Sandra and put him next to her. Two soldiers were there to force him to his knees as well. Neither of them resisted. How could they, when the Devil had Marie?

"Now, for the mercy of mighty Caesar Ocativo." He nodded and another two soldiers cocked their guns and stood behind the rulers of the Pitt. "At the same time please. It is cruel to see a loved one die."

"As you wish Vulpes." The soldier said.

"Close your eyes." Ashur said to Sandra. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I'll kill you!" Sandra said struggling. "You let go of my Marie you shiteating, Deathclaw-fucking, son of a molerat-cocksucking whore!"

"Hold your tou-"

"Hold." Vulpes Inculta interrupted the Centurion. "I do not begrudge that. I hold the woman's child. She wishes to protect it. It is one of the positive, instinctual, qualities of a woman. That she has it so fiercely is more proof of this tribe's worthiness to be part of the glorious Legion.

"Allow me to ease your mind. Your child will see no harm. She will be taken to our camp, where she will be raised to be a proper woman. If she is as blessed as you say that she is, then perhaps she may be granted entry to the Priestesshood and serve mighty Caesar's will by raising other children."

Ashur just hung his head as his wife continued to swear at Vulpes. The irony was not lost on him. The slave master now subdued by slavers and his own child taken by them. Werner and Medea were probably laughing in whatever Hell that Ashur would be joining both of them in soon. He looked at the scarred face of the man that had destroyed his empire. Calm eyes looked back at him. How could he have been such a fool as to even trust this...monster for even a second?

Now he, Sandra, his people, the Pitt, and Marie would all suffer. The entire East Shore would suffer. He had handed these bastards the Pitt on a platter.

"I grow tired of the woman's chattering. Grant them Caesar's mercy." Vulpes Inculta said. He turned and walked away, carrying Marie with him.

The bangs of the guns were simultaneous.


End file.
